| Settling in Bangladesh |
Chapter 7 |
Customs Procedures on Arrival and Departure |
| (Excerpts,
edited and abridged)
General Most of the information covered in this chapter applies to privileged persons. The staff of diplomatic missions and the heads of most United Nations agencies have diplomatic status. This means that their entry and exit from Bangladesh and regulations about importing goods is controlled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They do not have a Customs Passbook and generally have fewer restrictions applying. To buy items duty-free, including food, they place an order for approval with the Ministry. Privileged Persons If you working for a UN organisation or affiliated body, you will not have to apply for privileged person status. UNDP will arrange this for you. Other foreign nationals who are not affiliated with a UN organisation, but eligible for privileged person status, will need to apply for it. Your project leader should write to the relevant officer of the agency which will oversee your project, and request application for privileged person status for you from the National Board of Revenue. Granting of this status can at times take up to six months. The Customs Passbook What is a Customs Passbook? The family of each privileged person is entitled to a customs passbook. It will enable the purchase of duty-free electronic and electrical items, as well as liquor, food and other goods from duty-free warehouses. It will also enable the purchase of imported items from departing privileged persons. What you bring in must be noted in this passbook. It is not generally possible to clear goods through Customs until a passbook has been obtained. However, if your passbook is not available by the time your personal effects have arrived, you may want to consider applying to the Customs Authorities to release the consignment with a bank guarantee. The bank will issue this, generally valid for three months. based on the duties and taxes assessed by the Customs Aythorities. Within this period yu must produce the custom passbook to Customs for insertion of the items imported by you. Your clearing agent will help you with this. This procedure should only be used as a last resort as it blocks your money until you surrender the bank guarantee to the bank for re-credit. Obtaining a Customs Passbook To obtain a Customs Passbook it is necessary to have a multiple entry visa for a minimum of six months. Begin procedures to obtain your Customs Passbook immediately after you arrive. It can take some time to obtain one. Consult your adminitrative section. You will be provided with a letter requesting that a passbook be issued to you and complete the form issued by the National Board of Reveny, to be certified by the Head of Agency or Project Authority. Importing by Privileged Persons If you are importing household goods/unaccompanied luggage, you must employ a Clearing and Forwarding Agent who holds a valid Customs licence, e.g. Homebound Packers and Shippers and Wing Cargo Ltd., to negotiate with Customs on your behalf. a. Durable Items These are electronic items or large electrical appliances. You may bring in or buy duty-free one of each of the major appliances: TV, VCR, computer, audio-cassette player or mini system, movie camera, refrigerator, washing machine, clothes dryer, freezer, stove with hot plates. A couple can import or buy two duty free air conditioners though it seems that those with persuasive powers manage to import three. There is an additional allowance of one air conditioner per bedroom if you have children. There is no restriction on items bought through the normal duty-paid local channels, but you will not be able to take them out of the country when you leave. Regulations state that you have to bring in durable items, including a car, within six months of your arrival. The date on the bill of lading/airway bill is what is important. b. Semi-durable items Anything under US$24 (Tk 1000) is a semi-durable item which includes china, cutlery, pots and pans, bicycles, tool boxes, hand operated lawn mowers, bathroom scales, sheets, towels, linen, blankets, eiderdowns and small electrical appliances. A limit of US$ 450 is placed on semi-durable items which will not cover everything. It is advisable to discuss all these issues with your Administrative Officer beforehand, and have someone to help you with the customs officers at the assessment time. c. Import of food There does not seem to be much of a problem about this, provided that only reasonable supplies are brought in. Expatriates regularly return from Bangkok or Singapore with supplies of meat and groceries, and these are not entered in the passbook. Fruit and vegetables have to be cleared through plant quarantine but this is usually not a problem d. Import of pets It is betteer to bring them in with you as they may otherwise sit in the airport for several days.
When you arrive at the Customs area you will be required to:
Once through the Customs formalities, you will need to present the animal at the Central Veterinary Hospital. Sometimes, an officer from the hospital will be at the airport. Do not bring: arms
and ammunition |
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